The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-04-14

the whole tier of Southwest counties, offer
inducements for investments and enter
prise unsurpassed in natural resourcesand
advantages. and only messing rail facilities
to demonstrate the richest mineral section
on the continent. Local railroads are be-
ing projected as feeders to these proposed
main lines, and others that have their at
tention on this remarkable region. In
few years the whole Southwest will have
net work Of railroads, reaching to every
mineral field, and With the capital already
planted there, and that which is sure to
come, an Industrial millennium will dawn
upon this favored section, such as has
never before been youclSa1ed to any other
portion of the Union. ! will be lasting.
enduring prosperity, for it will be based
upon bedrock resources, which cannot be
shaken by intermittent periods of trade
depression and vii. depend upon no fancy
speculations or sensational blooms. y
Practical men are in the front, backed by
ample capital and they mean business. 1t
is safe outlet for the snrpluss money of
the East, and it is pressing in by the mil
lions There is no sticking about prices
The mineral properties are eagerly taken
at what a few years ago, would have been
considered fabulous. but now regarded as
fair equivalents for an undeyeloped dis
trict, which cannot be fully utilized until
millions more are added to convert the
| dead wealth into active values. Furnaces
and rolling mills and other industries
related to the iron interests, must neces
sarily follow the investments and the COM
pletion of the railroad projects, and it is
not unreasonable to Fredericksburg the
prediction upon known facts and es-
timates-that the most remarkable indus
trial era known to any part of the coun.
try, is soon to date a new epochln the his
tory of this portion of Virginia.
Since the last issue of the VIRGTNIAN,
we notice that Mr.. G. 7. Mills, to whom
alluson was made in former article, as
one of the moving spirits in the develop
ment of the Cripple Creek cnEatry, for
himself and Philadelphia capitalists, has
purchased 1900 acres of land adjoining
the town of Central, on the Norfolk and
Western, at New 1iiver, with an extensive
river frontage. which it is proposed to lay
off into lots for residences, business houses
and manufacturing sites. This location
| is at the junction CT the branch road tC
the Pocahontas coal fields with the Nor
folk and Western. and in easy command Of
! the iron ores and coke for the manufacture
of iron. 1t is surmised that furnaces anG
rolling mill plants will soon be planned
and the plans carried into execution. This
is not to inaugurate rivalry with Pulaski
in the building up Of city, but rather as
twin movement, operated and controlled
in most part, by those Interested in Pu-
laski. There is room and verge enough
for both. and natural resources enough
not only to make two industrial cities bu1
to build a city that would embrace both
The live men at tie back of the project:
will lose no time or opportunity to con
:. summate their comprehensive plans, fol
the capital and energy and grasp are pres
ent, and these are the essential factors il
building up a country and hewing from thu
mountains the stores of wealth which Ma
ture in one of her lavish moods, has sc
, ahundanuy formed and located in th;'
; beautiful scope of country.
Roanoke too, is On the verge of another
boom. as the result of the railroad scheme
Z to Craig county The preliminary arrange
ments have all been adjusted, and the final
) conclusion of the contract was to have
been reached last Monday. With this en-
| terprise realized fact, and the proposed
Rolling Mill determined on, this magic
| city will spread its limits. augment its in
7 dustries and multiplyits population.
2 1t Is rather humiliatirg to a resident il
' the central valley. and surrounded by ST
, many elements of natural wealth, to know
r these evidences of prosperity and progress
are not present with us. Why cannot on
own people break through the .encrusta
/ tions of old fogyism and spring to tn
c front to participate in the. enterprise tina
is doing so much for other portions of thu
D South ? Nature has been as kind to us a
to them, but as yet we do not feel the vi
f hrations of the new Industrial life, ant
! will not until we awaken to an apprecia-
e tion of our resources; advantages and OPP
portunitles.